Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Come on, I Taught You

###Chapter 86: Come On, I Taught You How

Maxine’s ears burned. She shot him a playful glare. "You pervert. I’m going to take a shower."

Maxine turned and walked toward the bedroom. At the doorway, she couldn’t resist looking back.

Ethan Hawthorne was still standing under the light of the entryway, his head lowered as he unfastened his cufflinks. His posture was straight and tall, his profile calm and composed.

Sensing her gaze, he looked up, his eyes questioning.

"Ethan Hawthorne," Maxine said his name.

"Hm?"

"You’re so good to me."

Hearing this, Ethan Hawthorne watched her quietly.

Beneath the warm yellow light, his deep eyes seemed to ripple with gentle tenderness.

After a moment, he finally parted his lips. "That’s because you’re wonderful, too."

Maxine’s heart trembled, and a wave of warmth spread through her. She smiled at him, then turned and entered the room.

The door clicked softly shut. In the living room, only a single floor lamp was on, casting a dim, warm glow.

Ethan Hawthorne carefully put away the gifts they had brought back, along with the coat she had left behind.

Forty minutes later, Maxine emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a cloud of steam and the faint scent of shower gel, wearing a new silk nightgown.

The moment she stepped out of the bedroom, the study door opened, and Ethan Hawthorne walked out.

He had changed into dark loungewear and was walking straight toward her.

"All clean?"

His gaze swept over her glistening cheeks and neck.

"Mhm," Maxine replied, drying her hair with a towel.

Ethan Hawthorne was silent for two seconds before speaking. "Actually... I have a gift for you today, too."

"Hm?" Maxine was puzzled.

Instead of presenting it right away, Ethan Hawthorne asked, "That pen you used to sign the contract today, what did you think of it?"

Maxine thought for a moment. "It had a nice metallic weight, felt substantial and steady in my hand, and the ink flow was smooth. It’s a fine pen."

Ethan Hawthorne nodded, then produced a long, rectangular box covered in deep blue velvet and pushed it toward her.

"That one is for Hawthorne Group business," he said, his gaze calm and gentle. "This one... is for Maxine Rhodes, and Maxine Rhodes alone."

Maxine’s heart skipped a beat. She reached out, her fingertips brushing against the cool, soft velvet, and gently opened the lid.

A fountain pen lay nestled on a black velvet lining.

The body was a deep, lustrous midnight-blue enamel, with flecks of gold dust like distant stars that glittered faintly in the light. The pen’s lines were smooth and elegant, exuding an air of understated nobility.

"This is..." Maxine asked softly.

"It’s from FuliKo’s ’Midnight Starry Sky’ collection. The enamel is hand-fired layer by layer, and the gold dust formula is proprietary."

Ethan Hawthorne explained in a casual tone, "The nib is custom-made. The thickness should be perfect for your daily writing and signature."

Maxine remembered that this brand usually took half a year from material selection to completion. How did he...?

"This is too precious..." she said instinctively. This was clearly not something one could buy on a whim.

"It suits you," Ethan Hawthorne said, his tone firm and leaving no room for doubt.

"Today, you used the company pen to sign a contract that proves your worth."

Ethan Hawthorne looked at her, his voice low and clear. "From now on, you can use this pen to sign any name you want to sign—for your projects, your career, your everything."

He leaned down slightly, bringing his eyes level with hers. His gaze was filled with undisguised admiration and anticipation. "You’re worth it."

This moved Maxine more than any sweet nothings ever could.

He viewed her independence and achievements as his own glory. This gift was a token of admiration, a bond between them, and a way of silently tying her every future moment of brilliance to him.

Maxine picked up the pen. It was warm to the touch.

She didn’t offer any more words of refusal. Instead, she just looked up, her eyes exceptionally bright in the light.

"Ethan Hawthorne," she said his name, her voice soft. "You... sometimes you really leave a person with no options."

"No options for what?" he pressed, leaning forward slightly, his gaze locking onto her.

"No options..." Maxine paused, meeting his gaze. A captivating smile slowly curved her lips. "...to refuse."

The atmosphere grew taut in that instant.

Ethan Hawthorne looked at her freshly showered, pink-flushed cheeks and dewy eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

His gaze darkened as it locked on her lips. "I just taught you how to thank me."

Maxine met his gaze, her eyes gradually darkening under the light, like a deep pool steeped in moonlight.

She casually draped the towel in her hand over the back of a nearby chair, then took the tiniest step forward.

The distance between them closed in an instant, the fabric of her nightgown almost brushing against his loungewear.

She tilted her head up slightly, her gaze sliding slowly from his eyes down to his lips with a hint of provocation.

There was a glimmer in her eyes, a hint of a smile, and an undisguised trace of seduction, the kind shared between a man and a woman.

"For such a precious gift..."

Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and slow, like a feather brushing against the heart. "...I’ll have to thank you properly."

As she finished speaking, she suddenly stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tilted her head up to kiss him.

Her lips were soft and slightly cool, but they ignited a fire the moment they touched his.

She even gave his lower lip a light, tentative bite, her tongue darting out to lick the spot, like a mischievous yet bold kitten.

Every muscle in Ethan Hawthorne’s body tensed. The arm around her waist tightened instantly, almost lifting her clean off the ground.

A low groan escaped his throat as he seized control, deepening the kiss.

He parted her teeth and plunged inside.

The kiss made Maxine’s legs go weak. Her initial playful provocation quickly dissolved into a submissive tremble under his control.

Her arms tightened around his neck, her fingertips unconsciously sinking into the short hair at his nape.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan Hawthorne pulled back a fraction of an inch, a sensual, silvery thread connecting their lips.

His breathing was heavy, his forehead resting against hers. His eyes were as dark as undiluted ink, churning with raw desire.

"Now *that’s* a proper thank you."

His voice was impossibly hoarse, his hot breath fanning across her swollen, kiss-bruised lips.

Maxine gasped for air, her lashes damp and the corners of her eyes flushed with passion.

She looked into his aggressive eyes, so close to her own, and licked her tingling lips. A triumphant, alluring smile played on her face. "Mr. Hawthorne is such a good teacher. In that case... the student has to turn in a proper assignment, doesn’t she?"

Those words lit the final fuse.

Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes darkened instantly. Without another word, he swept her into his arms.

Maxine let out a small cry, instinctively tightening her hold around his neck.

He carried her as he strode toward the bedroom, knocking over a cushion on a low stool in the living room without a second glance.

Her nightgown was pulled off along the way and tossed to the floor.

The bedroom door was shoved open with his shoulder, then slammed shut behind him.

A night of wild passion followed.

...